Orthodontic bracket



15, 19 F. ANDREWS ETAL 3,335,496

ORTHODONTIC BRACKET Filed April 22, 1965 INVENTORS LAWRENCE F ANDREWS BY W/LBUR 4. ANDREWS United States Patent 3,335,496 ORTHODONTIC BRACKET Lawrence F. Andrews, 6101 La Jolla Mesa Drive, La Jolla, Calif. 92037, and Wilbur A. Andrews, 2945 Arnoldson, San Diego, Calif. 92122 Filed Apr. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 450,018 1 Claim. (Cl. 32-14) The present invention relates to an orthodontic bracket and more particularly to an orthodontic bracket for carrying an arch wire and/ or a face bow inner wire, and more specifically, to an orthodontic bracket for carrying a face bow inner wire having a built in stop for limiting the travel of the inner wire.

Prior art buccal tubes for the reception of face bow inner wires and arch wires generally comprise a bracket for the reception of the arch Wire having a rectangular or circular tube therein, and an attached circular cylindrical tube for the reception of a face bow inner wire. A disadvantage lies in the necessity for the provision of travel limiting stops on the inner Wire of the face bow, such as the soldered stops disclosed and claimed in my patent, Number 3,137,941, for an extra oral-dental retractor. This requirement of adding stops to the face bow inner wire not only increases the initial cost of the face bow or requires additional time of the orthodontist to place stops on face bow inner wires when not provided, but has the further disadvantage of weakening the wire. According to the invention, an orthodontic bracket is provided having a tubular member for the reception of a face bow inner wire which is provided with a mechanical stop to limit the travel of the face bow inner wire therethrough. This obviates the necessity and disadvantages mentioned above, of stops being required on the face bow inner wire itself. In one embodiment, this novel feature is included in a combination buccal tube in which the buccal tube can be constructed of a single block having a rectangular notch cut in the face of the block, which is adapted for attachment to a tooth band, and a circular bore substantially thereto. At the end of the circular bore, a stop is included, preferably integral with the block, for the limiting of the face bow inner wire travel therethrough. The configuration of the stop also, together with curved extensions adapted to conform to the contour of the tooth band, forms a convenient hook for the placement of rubher band anchors, which are used in orthodontic practice.

Another embodiment of the face bow inner wire stop would be the utilization of sheet metal tubes with extensions to form the stop at the back of the tube. The ex tensions could be flattened or ribbed or have a curved arcuate cross-section for added structural strength, as necessary.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved orthodontic bracket for carrying arch wires and face bow inner wires.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an orthodontic bracket for carrying face bow inner wires in which the necessity for a mechanical stop on the inner wire of the face bow is obviated.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an integral combination orthodontic bracket for carrying arch wires and face bow inner wires.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an orthodontic bracket for carrying face bow inner wires having a stop provided for said inner wire wherein the bracket is substantially self-cleaning.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an orthodontic bracket for the carrying of face bow inner wires which includes an inner wire stop integral with the bracket.

A still further object of the present invention is to pro- 3,335,496 Patented Aug. 15, 1967 vide an orthodontic bracket for the carrying of arch wires and/or face bow inner wires having a built-in face bow ililner stop which can also be used as a rubber band anc or.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an orthodontic bracket for carrying arch wires and face bow inner wire which can be constructed from an in tegral block of material.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of an orthodontic bracket for the carrying of arch wires and face bow inner wires which is inexpensive to construct, simple and convenient to use.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent with respect to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a patients teeth utilizing an orthodontic bracket of the type disclosed herein;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken from one end of one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view taken from another end of the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification to the embodiment of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another modification of the embodiment of FIG. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a patients upper teeth having tooth bands 11 surrounding two teeth. Attached to tooth bands 11 are brackets 12 having arc wire 13 and inner face bow wire 14 anchored thereto.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, bracket 15 has a rectangular notch 16 cut in face 17. Face 17 is attached to band 11 as by welding. Bore 18 is cut completely through from face 17 to back face 19. Shoulders 20 can be integral with bracket 15. Another rectangular notch 21 is cut at one end of block 15, leaving wall 22 as a stop for any arch wire passing through bore 18. Notches 23 may be cut in the ends of shoulders 20, leaving extensions 24, which are curved to fit the contour of tooth band 11.

Referring to FIG. 5, a buccal tube 26 is shown having fiat extension 31 curved over at 32. Tube 26 is fixedly attached, as by welding, to a toothband.

FIG. 6 also shows a buccal tube 26 having extension 31A which is ribbed at 33, forming a stop over end 32. Tube 26 is also attached to a tooth band.

Referring to FIG. 7, buccal tube 26 is shown having a curved extension 31B with an arcuate cross-section covering end 32. Buccal tube 26 is again fixedly attached to a tooth band.

Referring back to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the bracket shown as block 15 is preferably metallic, and can be fabricated from a solid block. Notch 16 is cut in a rectangular shape for the reception of a rectangular or circular cross-section arch wire, such as that shown at 13 in FIG. 1. The two sides of the block may be trimmed off, leaving shoulder 20 for attachment to tooth band 11. Bore 18 is cut through the front section of block 15, i.e., not through back stop 22, for the reception of a face bow inner wire, back stop 22 being provided for limiting the travel of the said face bow through bore 18. Notches 23 are cut in shoulders 20, leaving extension tabs 24, which are then curved to conform more closely to the contour of tooth band 11. Since extensions 24 curve away from the bottom edge of back stop 22, the bottom corner at edge of back stop 22 provides an ideal rubber band anchor. Notch 21 is cut in block 15 to provide access for removing food particles, etc., that may accumulate in the bracket when in use.

If an arch wire is not being utilized in a particular patient, a tubular member alone may suffice as the entire bracket, such as that shown at 26 in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. In FIG. 5, the tubular member 26 has a flattened extension 31 which is curved over opening 32, serving as a stop for a face bow inner wire. Buccal tube 26 is fixedly attached, as by welding, to a tooth band.

FIG. 6 is identical to FIG. 5 with the exception that extension 31A is strengthened by rib 33.

FIG. 7 is identical to FIG. 5 with the exception that extension 31B has an arcuate cross-section conforming generally to the curvature of tube 26.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only preferred embodiments of the invention, and that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

An orthodontic bracket of the type having a first side fixedly attached to a tooth band, said bracket comprising:

a single block of material having a groove cut in a first side, said first side being adapted for attachment to a tooth band and said groove being adapted to receive an arch wire;

a circular bore in said single block, said circular bore being substantially parallel to said rectangular groove and adapted to receive an inner face bow wire; and

stop means integral with said block for limiting the travel of an inner face bow wire through said circular bore.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 415,829 11/1889 Angle 32-14 1,207,566 12/1916 Korbitz 32-14 1,471,785 10/1923 Fernald 32-14 3,119,182 1/1964 Miller et a1 32-14 FOREIGN PATENTS 436,597 10/1935 Great Britain.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

J. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner. 

